GOLF PSYCH
competition or under pressure and we try to resist looking to the out of bounds on the right or at the ditch on the left . We begin to think about our swing mechanics , tighten up and promptly hit the ball straight into the trouble . And how many times have you , or a playing partner , then put another ball down and smashed it straight down the middle ?
We often ask ourselves : " Why didn ' t I just do that the first time ?"
Similar things happen on the putting green too . We line up what we see as a tricky two-footer for par for a good couple of minutes and then don ' t even threaten the hole , yet we drag it back in frustration for a second go and tap it in with utter simplicity . It ' s because we are then relaxed .
Scientists and sports psychologists explain how we learn a skill such as the golf swing by being highly conscious of the step-by-step process needed . Through practice and repetition this becomes less of a conscious act and more automatic , and it is that automatic stage that allows us to perform well and hit great golf shots with little or no thought or effort .
However , the issue that arises with many club golfers is that they tend to obsess over technical aspects of the swing , while the golfers who play with relative ease are the ones who always do things automatically .
In the professional world players are experts at being conscious of their swing mechanics on the practice range in order to improve but can then switch back to automatic pilot on the course . The scientific term given to the state that great players enter into is " expert induced amnesia " - this is because when expert players are asked what they were thinking when they made a swing at the ball , they often explain that they weren ' t thinking anything at all .
This suggests that we must begin to trust more in what we have learnt , or even just trust in our body to get the ball going towards the target . You often hear players saying : " It seems the less I try , the better I play ." What they mean is the less they think , the better they play . That is what players such as Cabrera do - they get over the ball and sweep it away .
But it ' s all very well discussing the positives in Cabrera ' s approach but let ' s not forgot who won the tournament . It may well be that Adam Scott ' s style is more compatible with you , and it may feel right and fill you with confidence and control . We are all different and we must figure out what works best for us as individuals . Remember though that if you opt for the more instinctive approach to your golf , be careful not to mistake it for carelessness . And don ' t become reckless .
Spencer Vickery - is a writer for the Zone Golf Magazine as well as a part time professional golfer . After an amateur career of playing for county and a brief spell for country he played professional golf full-time on the Euro Pro and Jamega Tour . Playing at this level made him curious about the role that attitude and mind set play in golf . He completed a bachelors and masters degree in sport psychology at the University of the West of England .
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THEZONE / ISSUE 21